IT

SGS2: Removing Bol.com app

Samsung has preinstalled several applications on the Samsung Galaxy S2 that cannot be uninstalled, such as the boekenbol application from bol.com. Now this wouldn't be a problem, if only it would stay in the background. But sometimes it doesn't.

In the last few days, a new version of boekenbol was released, and Android keeps nagging to upgrade the app. I don't want to upgrade, I don't want this app to have any permissions on my phone, but I can't remove the app.

My steps to remove boekenbol

First, I upgraded my phone using Samsung Kies to be running the latest Android version currently available. After the upgrade, I was running GINGERBREAD.XWKK2 on a 2.6.35.7-i9100XWKK2-CL726411 kernel.

Then I rooted the phone, using the CF-Root 5.0 version CF-Root-SGS2_XW_XEN_KK2-v5.0-CWM5. That was actually pretty easy to do.

I installed a few tools for easy access and convenience:

SuperUserGrant and manage Superuser rights for your phone. Don't know if this is required, but I do use it.
SSHDroidSSH Server for Android. Actually a dropbear implementation.

After starting SSHDroid, I start the Wi-Fi hotspot and connect my laptop to it. I logged on using ssh -l root. Then I performed the following commands.

mount /system -o remount,rw                      # mount read-write
mkdir /system/app-disabled
 
# move the (cr)app out of sight (i'm not totally removing the file from the disk, just in case)
mv /system/app/Bol.com_version_1.0.3.3.apk /system/app-disabled  
 
mount /system -o remount,ro                      # mount read-only

Other apps I've removed, include: MMM_Smartphone_1.5.1_final.apk MusicHub_10.apk ReadersHub.apk ReadersHub.odex SamsungIM.apk SocialHub.apk SocialHub.odex

My message to Bol.com

Nobody likes to be forced to have software installed that you don't want. I understand you want to promote your webshop, and pre-installing isn't a problem. But make it removable.

Also, mister Maurice Nieuwland, pointing to Samsung for complaints is a very very childish reaction. Sure, Samsung is to blame for installing the crap. But they wouldn't have, if bol.com didn't make them, you've signed the contract.

For forcing your software upon customers and people that aren't even your customers, I'll be boycotting bol.com until this app is removable by non-root users.

© GeekLabInfo SGS2: Removing Bol.com app is a post from GeekLab.info. You are free to copy materials from GeekLab.info, but you are required to link back to http://www.geeklab.info

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (7 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...

7 comments on “SGS2: Removing Bol.com app”

  1. Hello. I've just done the same to get rid of Voice-Talk but found it simpler to use Titanium Backup to remove the annoying apps. SSHdroid was not needed - I don't like command line editors unless I know the OS inside out.

  2. Hi Brian, Thanks for your comment!
    Personally, I prefer the command line, cause I have 10 years of Linux experience ;-)
    But your suggestion may be very useful to other people.

  4. Hi David,
    Thanx a lot for you guide. It took me some time to figure out how it works exaclty but finally I managed. I just have a quick question about the other programms you moved to the app-disabled folder. For the social and readers hub you also move a .odex file but not for the music hub. Why is this so?
    Kind regards,
    Catweazle

  5. I have no clue why i did it like this. Probably I haven't seen the .odex file of the music hub.
    Anyway, on my phone, the music hub has disappeared, which is the wanted result. Guess the odex file is ignored when there's no .apk linked to it.

  6. As long as the boekenbol app cannot be deleted normally I will not order any products from bol.com anymore.

  7. Is it that such apps take up all resources so my Galaxy S cannot run ICS? I haven't ordered anything from Bol since i found out, and I'm telling everybody to do the same.

Leave a Reply